Make an Appoinment

Darryl Strawberry: From Addict to Preacher

Darryl Strawberry held onto his addiction as if it was his own shadow. The professional New York Mets and Yankees player hit more than home runs; he was hitting his crack pipe like it was all he had left in the world, ditching his family for drugs, and destroying two marriages in the process. He credits his recovering wife, Tracy Strawberry, to helping him get sober, but most importantly gratifies God now that he has transitioned from a pro-ball player and addict to a preacher.

Darryl Strawberry: Grateful Recovering Addict

After spending his $30 million in earnings from baseball on his addiction, Darryl Strawberry wound up behind bars for nearly a year and in the courtrooms in Tampa, FL. “I don’t miss the game, because it’s a game. Life is not a game,” Darryl said. “Life is a journey, and life is more important than a baseball game.” He went into greater detail by explaining what was significant to him now that he is clean and sober today, which is a meaningful life.

Darryl’s life is composed of family and God now. “From the grace of God, and his mercy and his love, I’ve crossed over from a baseball player to a preacher,” he says. Darryl also has four children from former marriages, who are named D.J., Jewel, Jordan, and Jade. “It was a defining moment about 11 years ago when I met Tracy [his wife]…who I’m truly grateful for,” Darryl added.

Darryl’s Relationship with Tracy

Darryl met Tracy, his wife, at a Narcotics Anonymous convention meeting in 2003 and it was a game-changer for the two of them. “We had lost ourselves,” Tracy says when reflecting on when they first met. “I was fighting drug addiction and losing my children and alcoholism. Darryl, obviously, as everyone knows, was fighting the same battle.”

Darryl and Tracy were able to connect over their common bond in suffering from the disease. Though the two had both been struggling during this time in their lives, they started seeing one another more often and developed feelings for each other. “We were living in my parents’ basement [together],” Tracy explained how although they cared for one another, their situation was unmanageable due to their addictions. “You have an eight-time All-Star, four-time World Series champion living downstairs in the basement, sleeping in the bed that I [slept in during] high school.”

It was after that the two of them finally began to come out of denial and work on the issues that were pressing between the two of them. They had to combat real financial and trust issues by working through them to commit to getting sober for good. “She decided, ‘This is it. We’re not doing this no more. Either we’re going to live right or we’re not going to be together,” said Darryl. “And we did that.” The super couple married in 2014 and they live together in Missouri.

Darryl went on to say, “I really realized that that was the most important gift that we had ever given to ourselves – becoming a servant to others.” With this new belief instilled in his mind, Darryl knew sobriety and becoming a pastor was the best decision for his life. He moved forward with founding Strawberry Ministries and opened Darryl Strawberry Recovery Center to treat individuals suffering from substance use issues.

Are you struggling to find a way out of your addiction to alcohol and/or drugs? Contact The Watershed today. You don’t have to continue living in the pain and agony of your disease. Call now and trudge the road to happy destiny.1-800-861-1768.